Switch and automatic cut-out



(No Model.) 7 M. J. WIGHT'MAN & H. LEMP. SWITCH AND AUTOMATIC QUT-OUT. No. 367,082. Patented July 26, 1887.

N, PETERS. Phuwiflhugraphcr. Washin ton. uc.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MERLE J. WIGHTMAN AND HERMANN LEMP, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT,

ASSIGNORS TO THE SCHUYLER ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

OF CONNECTICUT.

SWITCH AND AUTOMATIC CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,082, dated July 26, 1887.

Application filed August 19, 1886. Serial No. 211,319. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MERLE J. WIGi-ITMAN and HERMANN LEMP, citizens of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Switch and Automatic Cut-Out for Electric Circuits, designed especially for use with electric-light circuits, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to secure a device that can be operated both as a switch and as an automatic safety cut-out, which is simple and effective.

Our invention consists in two pivoted levers connected with the main line and operated by a retracting-spring connected with them, butv suitably insulated therefrom, and means for holding these levers in engagement and giving one a sliding contact over the other as the switch is operated; and it consists, also, in the combination, with the devices aforementioned, of an electro-magnet located in a derived circuit from the line, the circuit of which magnet is completed by one of the aforementioned levers when separated from the other, and also devices operated by said electromagnet, which look this lever in its retracted po sition, and which complete this circuit by the locking together of said parts; and it consists in certain other details of construction, hereinafter to be enumerated.

Like letters of reference in the two figures of the drawings represent similar parts.

Figure l is a plan view of our apparatus, showing a diagrammatic view of the circuits. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of Fig. 1 at the line In the drawings, C and 0 represent two levers,.which are pivoted upon an insulatingbase,s,of slate or any other suitable insulating material. These levers are connected with the leading-in wires L, as shown in Fig. 1, and have a spring, S, connected on opposite sides of their fulcra, for actuating them, the said spring being insulated from the lever C by an insulating-piece, f, to which it is connected. The lever C carries a handle, H, and also a flat spring, on, near this handle, carrying a pin, 0, projecting below the lever and de signed to engage an extension, o, of the lever O, which latter lever also carries spring-jaws o c, which engage and make contact with the lever C, and thus complete the cut-out circuit. The lever O is provided with a stop or pin, 1, for limiting its movement.

Connected with-the metal pieces d e, to which the leadingin wires are connected, and the levers O and O are also connccted,is the main circuit, having in it incandescent lamps I in series, or otherwise disposed, as desired.

In electrical connection with the lever O is a derived circuit, (1 0, containing in it an electro'magnet, M, which operates a device for locking the lever C in its retracted position, the circuit of said magnet being completed, as shown in Fig. 1, by the contact of thelever C with this locking device.

The electro-magnet M may be made of any suitable type. We have shown this magnet as having its armature pivoted to one of its poles and overlapping the other pole. It is located beneath the insulatingplate s, and has projecting through a hole therein a connecting-piece, n, carried by the armature for operating alocking-lever, It, pivoted at a, and held Y in a raised position by a spring, t. Thislocking-lever carries a beveled stop, w, for locking the lever C.

The derived circuit d c is completed by the lever C when it is in contact with the lockinglever k.

The magnet M and all the parts above enumerated are suitably cased by box B, the magnet M being located beneath the insulatingplate, and having the other parts mounted upon it, the whole being covered by glass plate 9. This insulatingplate may be provided with the words on and off, so arranged that when the lever C is retracted it will cover the word off and the word on will be displayed, and when the levers are to gether the word on will be covered by the lever and the word off plainly visible.

The end of the box near the handle is provi'ded with a slot, through which the lever C works.

We design to have one of these switches and cutouts at each subscribers, and to have it control the lamps used by each subscriber.

Having fully set forth the construction of our apparatus, we will now proceed to state its operation, supposing the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, and the current to be flowing through the lamps I. Under these conditions the derived circuit (Z cis established by the contact of G and k. A portion then of the current flowing inthe main line will pass through the magnet M. This circuit, however, is of such high resistance that it takes but a small portion of the current-a portion not sufficient to energize the magnet M. Should, however, the filament of any of the lamps become destroyed, or the lamp-circuit in any way be ruptured, an increase of current will be caused to [low through the magnet and will energize the same, drawing down its armature and the lever 7c,mechanieally connected therewith, thus liberating the cut-out lever O, which will immediately be drawn by the spring S in contact with the lever O, the springunounted pin 0 riding over and engaging the extension 1), the lever itself passing between the spring-jaws c c and completing the cutout circuit, which short-circuits the lamp circuit. \Vhen the levers arein this position, if it is desired to put the lamps in circuit, the handle H is moved to the left, the spring-mounted pin 0 holds the levers in electrical contact and rides along the extension 12 until it reaches the end, whereupon the lever Owill be suddenly thrown by the spring S, the tension of which has been all the time increasing,against the stop 3 making an almost instantaneous break of circuit, which lessens the time during which the are is formed, and thereby prevents in this way, to a great extent, burning away of the contacts. It will also be observed that by this means we give the spring-jaws c c a sliding contact over the lever C, and thereby keep the contactsurfaees bright by friction. Another advantage of this sys' tem is that the circuit is ruptured not at the points normally in contact when the lovers are in engagement with each other, but that the circuit is ruptured when the spring-jaws are near the curved portion of the lever O, and consequently the burning away of the metal, due to sparking, takes place near the curved portion of the lever C, and remote from that portion of this lever, which is in contact with the springjaws when the levers are in an electrical connection. \Ve also arrange the parts so that the circuit completed by the levers G and 0 shall be ruptured before the derived circuit is established by the contact of the lever O with the locking-lever. The object of this is to force the current through the lamp-circuit and thereby heat the carbon fila' aments of the lamps to incandcscence before the derived circuit is established. \Vere it not for this provision the armature of the eleetro-magnet would be drawn down, and the lever O liberated as soon as the derived circuit were completed by the contact of this lever, for the reason that the carbon filaments when cold have a muchhigher resistance than when heated, so that were not the provision made for heating the carbon filaments before com leting the derived circuit, the current would be forced through the derived circuit and thus interfere with the operation in the apparatus. This feature is of the very essence of our-invention.

Our apparatus may be varied without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we reserve the right in practice to make all those changes that lallwithin the scope of the invention.

Having now fully set forth the construction and operation of our apparatus, what we desire to claim, and secure by Letters Patent, is"

1. A switch for an electric circuit, consisting of two pivoted levers, a spring insulated from and connected with said levers on opposite sides of their fulcra, a handle on one of said levers, spring-jaws mounted on the other for making contact with the former, and electrical connections, as set forth.

2. A switch for an electric circuit, consisting of two pivoted levers, a spring insulated from and connected with said levers 011 opposite sides of their fulcra, a handle on one of said levers, springjaws mounted on the other for making contact with the former, electrical connections, and means for holding said levers in engagement and giving one a sliding contact over the other as the switch is open ated, which means causes a sudden rupturing of the circuit at a point distant from the surfaces normally in contact, whereby sparking is lessened and deterioration of the contacts takes place at a point distant from the surfaces required to complete the circuit.

3. A switch for an electric circuit, consisting of two pivoted levers, a spring insulated from and connected with said levers on opposite sides of their fulera, a handle on one of said levers, springj aws mounted on the other for making contact with the former, electrical connections, and a spring-mounted pin on the lever carrying the handle for engaging an extension of the other, operating as and for the purpose set forth.

4. An automatic cut-out or safety device, consisting of two pivoted levers connected by an insulated spring, a cutout circuit completed by the engagement of said levers, an electro-magnet in a derived circuit from the line, which derived circuit is established by one of saidlevers when separated from the other, and devices for locking the former in this position, operated by the aforesaid electro-magnet.

5. An electromagnetic cut-out consisting of two pivoted levers, acut-out circuit completed by their engagement, an eleetro-magnet in a circuit of high resistance from the line, and devices for locking one of said levers in its re- IIO tracted position, through which the latter circuit is completed when the last-mentioned lever is in contact therewith.

6. An electromagnetic cut-out consisting of two pivoted levers, an insulated spring connected to said levers on opposite sides of their fulcra, a spring-actuated lever for locking one of said levers in its retracted position, and an clectro-magnet for unlocking said lever upon increase of current therein, located in a derived circuit from the line which is established by the contact of the aforesaid lever and the locking-lever.

7. A switch and electro-magnetic cut-out, consisting of two spring-actuated pivoted levers,one of which carries a handle for manual manipulation, a cut-out circuitcompleted by their engagement, devices for locking one of said levers when they are out of contact with each other, an electro-maguet for operating said devices to unlock thelever, and electrical connections established by the locking together of said parts.

8. A switch and electro-magnetic cut out, consisting'of two springactuated pivoted levers, one of which carries a handle for manual manipulatiou,a springpin also carried by said lever for engaging an extension of the other lever, a cut-out circuit completed by their engagement, devices for locking one of said levers when they are out of contact with each other, and an electromagnet for operating said devices to unlock the lever and electrical connectious established by the locking together of said parts.

9. A switch and electromagnetic cut-out, consisting of two spring-actuated pivotedllevers, a cut-out circuit completed by their engagement, devices for locking one of said levers away from the other, an electro-magnet in a circuit from the line which is made and broken by the latter lever, for operating said devices and unlocking said lever, and means for breaking the cut-out circuit before establishing the circuit in which the magnet is located.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands and seals,this 27th day of July,1886, in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

MERLE J. WIGHTMAN; [-L. s.] HERMANN LEMP. a 8.]

Witnesses:

L. R. DENNIS, WM. E. SHEPARD. 

